Water-closet lid and device for preventing seats from splitting and warping.



PATENTED NOV. 5. 1907..

\ J. E. ALBEIGHT. WATER CLOSET LID AND DEVICE FOR PREVENTING SEATS FROM SPLITTING AND WARPING. APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1907.

lNVE/VTOH E.ALBHII3HT ATTORNEYS UNTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAltIES ED. ALBRIGHT, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH OAROEINA.

WATER-CLOSET LID AND DEVICE FOR PREVENTING SEATS FROM SPLITTING- AND WARPING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed April 18, 1907. Serial No. 368,984.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES ED. ALBRIGHT, of Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, a citizen of the United States, have invented an Improvement in Closet-Seats and Method of Constructing the Same, of which the following is a full specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a closet seat that it shall be prevented from splitting or warping as usual when constructed in the usual manner. The details of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts are as hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a plan view of a closet seat constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the seat inverted. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the seat showing the wire hoop or band in the position it occupies when about to be inserted in the recess or groove in the seat proper. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the seat showing the hoop orband inserted in place.

A indicates a wooden closet seat, and B a continuous circular groove cut in the under side of the same at or near the transverse middle of the seat.

C indicates a metal hoop or band which when duly inserted in the groove 13 occupies the position indicated in Fig. 4, that is to say it lies at the bottom of the groove and in the inner corner of the same.

D indicates a wooden strip inserted in the groove and constituting a filling whose outer surface is flush with the adjacent under surface of the seat.

The groove B is a cut in the under side of the seat by any suitable means; and as shownit has parallel walls at right angles to the plane of the seat. The metal hoop or band C is circular and integral or continuous and is made of a slightly less diameter than the groove, that is to say, ofless diameter than the longest distance between the inner sides of the groove. Thus, if the hoop or band C be laid upon the inner side of the seat A in proper relation to the groove B it would slightly overhang the inner ledge of the latter as shown in Fig. 3. In order to insert the hoop in the groove, it is in practice expanded by heat so that its diameter is increased sufficiently to permit it to pass over the inner edge of the groove and to the loottom of the latter, as indicated in Fig. 4, where, cooling, it contracts and grips tightly the inner side of the groove and thus exerts constantly inward pressure thereon whereby it holds the seat so that it is prevented irom splitting or warping in use. The wooden strip D conforms to the groove and hoop, that to say, it is square in cross section save at its inner corner which is rabbeted to receive the hoop. It is made to fit tightly and is set in water-proof glue so as to form when dry a smooth finish for the inner side of the seat.

The invention is applicable to closet lids or covers as well as seats.

What I claim is:

1. A closet seat having a continuous circular groove in groove, the normal diameter of said wire being slightly less than the diameter of the groove, whereby the hoop, when expanded under the influence of heat, is of sufiicient diameter for insertion in the groove and then upon cooling grips the inner wall of the groove by the contractile force induced by the lower temperature.

2. The method herein described consisting in forming a continuous groove in the seat, and inserting therein a continuous metal hoop whose normal diameter is slightly less than that of the groove, expanding said hoop by heat to the diameter of the groove and forcing it into the groove, as shown and described.

' J. ED. ALBRIGHT.

Witnesses E. J. STAFFORD, F. B. RrcKs.

its inner side, a circular metal hoop arranged in said 

